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Dogfish Head Spirits

Dogfish Head has been brewing high-quality beers for years, but now their small batch spirits are gaining notoriety.

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Rumming @ Rehoboth Beach

Tucked into a busy commercial strip on Rehoboth Avenue in Rehoboth Beach, Deleware sits the Dogfish Head Brewpub. At first look this seems to be the traditional, if not stereotypical brewpub. Upon entry, loud classic rock ‘n’ roll blasts from the stereo, waitresses speedily carry orders of pub food to hungry customers as sunburned tourists and frat-guys swill beers at the bar. But upstairs, in a tiny corner space, is the epicenter of Dogfish Head Spirits.

It’s true that you don’t need a massive amount of square footage to create quality booze and the Dogfish distillery is proof of that. Their system is squeezed into an area that was surely once little more than a storage room.

When I arrived, a staff member was busy checking pressure gauges, dials and temperatures. She had a look of intense focus which I didn’t dare interrupt, so I just observed and enjoyed the process. When she was through, I asked her about the setup and what they produce. At the moment, they distill gin, vodka and three varieties of rum. The room smelled of molasses and I presumed that a batch of rum was bubbling away. I was right.

She brought out samples of their line; Brown Honey, White Light and Wit Spiced. The white and spiced were both quite nice and fine for mixing cocktails, but the Brown Honey stood out. It is their top selling rum and for good reason. It is sweet and very approachable.

Dogfish Head Brown Honey Rum is twice distilled and aged in American Oak casks for a short time before bottling. The addition of honey is evident and helps mellow out the taste. The seasoned rum snob may turn up their nose at a spirit this sweet and this young, but I think it’s a great effort and one that will introduce rum to a whole new audience.

Dogfish Head has long been known for their non-traditional beers. With continued tinkering and mastery of their gear, they will soon be known for their “outside the box” spirits as well. Check ‘em out!